St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-17
THE CHRISTIAN CALLING.
A Sermon by the Rev. Father Glib
bons az the Cathedral

bons at the Cathedral.
At the Cathedral yesterday morning
Father Stanley celebrated high mass,
Fathers Gibbons and Fitzpatrick acting
as deacon and sub-deacon.
The sermon was preached by Father
Gibbons, who took for his text the
words Il beseech you, brethren, to
walk worthy of the vocations to which
You are called.'' ''These Words" he
said, were addressed to the faithful at
EpheSuS. st. Paul had labored with
zeal to teach the word of God to these
benighted people. He taught them
truths they never could have conceived
by themselves. He raised their minds
and hearts to God. The apostle knew
well the weak tendencies of the human
heart: therefore, he never cared to
make them mindful of their heavenly
calling. Catching. as he did, the I'M
Speakable happiness which holiness
bears with it. he commented on the sub
Unity of their calling and babe them
walk worthy Of their vocations.-
Now what is the vocation of which
the apostle speaks? What is this call
ing? 1t is the calling to be Christians.
to be children of God and heirs of
heaven" All other titles and honcrs
with the title, Christians. There are
people in this world who never see the
light of day. They live in pits and
mines and labor there day in and day
out. They have no idea of the beauties
of Nature. of its rivers and mountains.
the foliage of the trees or the yerdure
of the fields. They live in the deep re-
ceSses of the earth and are led by the
dim light OF the torch. Now what a
blessing it would be if these poor
creatures were suddenly ushered
into the sunshine of Nature.
What unSpeakable happiness were
it not for the blind man to have his
sight suddenly restored him, Imagine
his pleasure on finding himself in new
world and being possessed of all the
faculties to enjoy the same. But all
these illustrations are but faint com
pariS0n to the blessings we receive when
brought TO knowledge of the right
faith. Faith elevates man
TO A HIGH PEDESTAL,
where he can stand and contemplate, not
only earthly things, but things super
natural. Without this gift of faith man
goes cropping about in the twilight of
human reason. Human reason is unable
to guide him securely. But when he re-
ceives faith, he is suddenly thrust into a
new world. He sees the homes of the
blessed. He is no longer Of the world He
is a child of earth, ALSO child of heaven.
Even the things which he knew now
seem to change. He understands their
real value. And the apostle says, in re-
marking the change in us brought about
by faith, eye are not enemies or strang-
ers now, but. fellow-citizens with the
SaintS.'
The dignity of the Christian is indeed
great, but the responsibilities likewise
are great. 1t is a remarkable fact that
when men are suddenly raised in So
ciety, instinctively they try to act in a
manner BETTING their rank. adopting
the manners and customs of their new
stations. The law student is no sooner
admitted to the bar than he feels il III
cNmbent OIL him to act as lawyer.
The new calling makes a
new man of him. But if
fayors in the hands of men
produce such great changes in us, what
effect must not the great supernatural
gift of faith produce, i'll us2 The gift of
faith surpasSes all natural gifts in the
same degree that the supernatural sur
masses the natural OF the divine the
Let us ask what is theNChristian9 The
Christian is the child of God. God is
onr father. a kind indulgent father; and
we. His children. If to seSye God is to
reign. what an honor it is te be called